I'm not too smart with this stuff. So if I just get the Schiit Modi ONLY then I can use something like this to connect a headphone? And this
to connect to my computer?

And then let's say I get the Magni. Then I would need to buy this
to connect the two?

Now, I know people really fuss over cables. Would I be screwing myself by buying these cheap cables or is there some sort of quality cable that I need to get? Seems expensive to drop whatever those Schiit PYST cables cost.

In short, you can not / should not use the Modi on its own. Technically that cable would let you connect it to a pair of headphones but what it's outputting is not meant to drive headphones. What you want to do is hook it up to an amp of some sort (Magni or otherwise) with RCA cables. You can either use the Schiit PYST for $20 or spend $3 at Monoprice, either work fine. The shortest Monoprice one is 1.5 feet and is what I used with my Bifrost and Asgard for about a year with no problems: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021814&p_id=5346&seq=1&format=2

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that cables have no effect on sound (and obviously if they're not working correctly that'll affect something), I have never had a problem with Monoprice and only upgraded to the PYST cables because I like how they look and that they're nice and short, making them a little better for hooking up my amp and DAC when they're stacked on top of each other. If you're just concerned about sound quality just go with Monoprice and don't worry about them.

Hey all, I have a question regarding the Magni. I have a collection of low- to mid-range closed headphones. Many of them have low impedance (less than 32 ohms), and/or high sensitivity (~100 dB/mW). Normally this would be great for me, since they sound nice straight from my sound card w/o an amp. However, I am looking for an entry-level amp because I would like to get into the world of mid-range open headphones like the HD650 or HE400. I know the Magni will work well with the new headphones that I would like to buy, but I would also like it to be compatible with my current collection. Is it too powerful for what I already own?

Hey all, I have a question regarding the Magni. I have a collection of low- to mid-range closed headphones. Many of them have low impedance (less than 32 ohms), and/or high sensitivity (~100 dB/mW). Normally this would be great for me, since they sound nice straight from my sound card w/o an amp. However, I am looking for an entry-level amp because I would like to get into the world of mid-range open headphones like the HD650 or HE400. I know the Magni will work well with the new headphones that I would like to buy, but I would also like it to be compatible with my current collection. Is it too powerful for what I already own?

Speaking from the Magni just itself, i would think you will be ok. For your more sensitive cans, you can regulate the volume from your computer (if that is your source). If you plan on going Magni + Modi then you might have a bit of an issue. When i plug my Modi into my Retina MBP it completely bypasses the computers volume control so that the only way to adjust the volume is from the magni's pot. I really like it this way, but can see where people with sensitive equipment would run into issues. Now this is talking from a mac platform. I haven't hooked the stack to my PC before so i'm not sure if it does the same thing.

Speaking from the Magni just itself, i would think you will be ok. For your more sensitive cans, you can regulate the volume from your computer (if that is your source). If you plan on going Magni + Modi then you might have a bit of an issue. When i plug my Modi into my Retina MBP it completely bypasses the computers volume control so that the only way to adjust the volume is from the magni's pot. I really like it this way, but can see where people with sensitive equipment would run into issues. Now this is talking from a mac platform. I haven't hooked the stack to my PC before so i'm not sure if it does the same thing.

Got my Magni + Modi in today. They power my Hifiman HE-400 flawlessly, with a notable increase in quality over my Little Dot MKIII + Muse DAC or Fiio E17 with bypass. I don't notice any increase in the harshness up top like some people have said, just more definition to potentially expose flaws on poor mixes. I can feel the power out of these things. With my HE-400, I got volume pot travel to about 10 o'clock before it was too loud, so I can digitally turn the PC down slightly (using 24 bit mode) to get a bit more play out of it. The attentuators I purchased are not here yet so I cannot test them.

Got a Blue Jeans RCA cable for the Modi and I'm very pleased. If you're at all worried about buying a cable that's "too cheap," I think Blue Jeans is excellent middle ground. Not overspending, and knowing you got a high quality cable (well built) without the snake oil. Using a USB cable from monoprice. Here's some other notes...

1. I have no hiss at any volume.

2. Slight channel imbalance, but at whisper volumes only.

3. I had my music skipping every twenty seconds or so when I was plugged into the left side of my laptop, into my USB 3.0 port next to HDMI, power, etc. I switched it out to the right side, where I have a USB 2.0 port, and have not had a single skip since then. I have to assume it's due to the USB port being on its own, and not anything to do with the other one being 3.0

4. Wall wart for Magni plugged into my Belkin power strip (basic one, but very nice, $20 on Amazon ... I bought six of them) and I have no interference or anything like that.

Speaking from the Magni just itself, i would think you will be ok. For your more sensitive cans, you can regulate the volume from your computer (if that is your source). If you plan on going Magni + Modi then you might have a bit of an issue. When i plug my Modi into my Retina MBP it completely bypasses the computers volume control so that the only way to adjust the volume is from the magni's pot. I really like it this way, but can see where people with sensitive equipment would run into issues. Now this is talking from a mac platform. I haven't hooked the stack to my PC before so i'm not sure if it does the same thing.

I plug my M&M into my PC, and the digital volume control in Windows works as you would expect. According to other knowledgeable pros here on Head Fi, you might want to change the Modi's output to 24-bit / 96k Hz to prevent bit losses in the music stream to the Modi.

I have the Magni and the HM5 and they pairs very good for my taste. I like the HM5 better with Magni than with my LD I+.

Awesome, cheers Peter. Guess I will be ordering my Magni for my FA-003's sometime this week or so as I want a fairly transparent and neutral amp to synergise with the 003's sort of laid-back but neutral sig.